Progress made on Stillwater log jam

County workers and emergency responders continued efforts to dislodge a log jam on the bulging Stillwater River in Evergreen Thursday.

Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry said the jam — located west of River Road — wasn’t causing significant changes in water levels, but was diverting water toward nearby homes.

The Stillwater River reached flood stage at 7.5 feet Tuesday and was flowing at 8.4 feet by Thursday afternoon, according to National Weather Service hydrographs that forecast sustained flooding for more than a week.

Workers with the Office of Emergency Services, the Sheriff’s Office and the Evergreen Fire Department, along with county road employees, began the effort to remove the log jam Wednesday afternoon.

Two attempts to attach steel cables to the logs and pull them out with a backhoe failed, prompting a change in strategy on Thursday.

Curry said a boat was used to ferry men out to the log jam, located in the center of the river, where they then used chain saws to cut the logs apart and send them down the river.

Downstream, at a bridge on U.S. 2, westbound traffic was confined to one lane at about 2:30 p.m. as county workers pulled logs up to 30 feet in length from beneath the bridge using a small crane.

A cable was lowered into the water and steel tongs were used to snag logs as they floated from the disintegrating logjam upstream.

Curry said the work along U.S. 2 was largely a precautionary move to prevent logs from collecting on the concrete bridge.

The new tactic proved successful, and Curry expected the work would be complete by late afternoon Thursday.

“This is more mitigation at this point,” Curry said. “It’s not a huge emergency response. ... This isn’t a big deal yet.”

He said the two-day effort was aimed at keeping floodwaters in the main channel of the river instead of allowing the flow to back up into smaller channels where there are homes. There are no immediate plans to tackle other problem areas on local waterways.

Evergreen Fire and Rescue kept its Swift Water Rescue Team on hand in case of an emergency. Chief Craig Williams said residents of surrounding homes have been notified of the potential for higher waters.

“It’s just very important that people have a plan,” Williams said.

Evergreen Fire and Rescue personnel also have visited residents along the Flathead River, specifically Cynthia Drive, Goodrich Road, Spruce Park and other low-lying areas.

Sand and bags are currently available at the Evergreen Fire and Rescue’s main station on U.S. 2 East in Evergreen. Williams said the materials are available for use 24 hours a day, though residents will need to fill and place them themselves.

“We cannot possibly sandbag individual houses,” he said.

Williams said 1,200 sandbags already have been placed along the Stillwater on Nicholson Drive with the help of three local Boy Scouts troops.

Reporter Eric Schwartz may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at eschwartz@dailyinterlake.com.